


Soldier Sick Day

by ComeBackWhen



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Genesis watches out for him, M/M, because somebody has to do it, flirting via antagonism, sick!Sephiroth, some seph/gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-15 23:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8076982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComeBackWhen/pseuds/ComeBackWhen
Summary: Written as a late gift for the FFVII fanworks exchange: 
No matter the level of enhancements SOLDIER receives, it seems highly unlikely that even the Big Three are completely resistant to all illness. Bacteria and viruses adapt quickly and easily to most obstacles...so they should adapt to an enhanced body just as easily. Any combination of these guys felled by any sort of bug would be awesome. Extra points for fluff or someone playing nurse.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AssortedGeekery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssortedGeekery/gifts).



> Okay so backstory time... I was working on this for AssortedGeekery during the FFVII fanworks exchange and just couldn’t get it to come together in time. Finally, at long last, I’ve pieced it together. So, uh, surprise? :D
> 
> The fill ended up being Sephiroth/Genesis sort of? More like antagonistic flirting while Genesis plays nurse to Sephiroth. Hope you enjoy!

It took Genesis the better part of the morning to realize that something was not quite right with his rival. To be fair, it was hardly like he dogged Sephiroth's steps as he had as a young man. Genesis might have come to Shinra with dreams of befriending the young war hero, but they died an abrupt death upon his first actual meeting with Sephiroth.

He had been cold and arrogant, utterly unimpressed by Genesis and Angeal's quick rise through the ranks of Soldier. He had met Genesis's compliments with only a raised eyebrow and was only too eager to escape the room as soon as he was given leave to go by Lazard, Hojo and Hollander. Angeal had shrugged it off, more interested in his own training than Sephiroth's opinion, but Genesis had taken it as a personal insult.

Sephiroth had gradually grown to respect them when he realized that they were not the average Soldier recruits. He had also seemed oddly pleased by Angeal’s indifference and Genesis’s outright antagonism. Angeal, being as soft hearted as he was, had warmed to Sephiroth over the years and developed a genuine friendship with the man. Genesis swore he only tolerated Sephiroth for Angeal’s sake and Sephiroth pushed enough of Genesis’s buttons on a regular basis that it was clear they would never really be friends.

Angeal just rolled his eyes at both of them and claimed he was staying out of it.  
  
It was rare that Genesis and Sephiroth were left alone together in Shinra HQ without Angeal as a buffer. It had not taken long for the Shinra executives to realize that without someone to keep an eye on them, the two prickly Firsts were likely to pull the building down around everyone’s ears. Of course, the addition of Angeal's new protege to the mix led to Angeal being away from Midgar more often for training.  

During one of those trips, Genesis found himself prowling the halls of Shinra looking for distraction. He had spent the morning chained to his desk reading reports and debriefing Second Class Soldiers. His temper, notoriously short to begin with, was dangerously frayed. While his preferred method of blowing off steam was a spar with Angeal, harassing the fabled silver general would do in a pinch.

Genesis did not bother to knock, he never did. He hoped one day to catch Sephiroth in a compromising position... anything to muss his pretty face or perfect reputation would do. Unfortunately, Sephiroth was as boring as he was perfect so Genesis was not surprised to find him working quietly on paperwork at his desk.

“ _All that awaits you is a somber morrow_ ,” Genesis draped himself elegantly in the visitor seat opposite Sephiroth, “ _No matter where the winds may blow_.”

Sephiroth’s response was a unintelligible grumble. Genesis was not sure it was actually comprised of words. He took a good look at Sephiroth. The man was pale... and while that was normally true, he was far paler than was acceptable. There were faint bruises under his eyes that spoke to at least one sleepless night. Even his hair was a little limp, his bangs clinging to a bit of sweat on his forehead.

"You look wretched." Genesis said, sounding far more gleeful than he probably should.

Sephiroth glared up at him, "Your powers of observation are keen."

Genesis rolled his eyes, "That's not what I meant. I mean you _look_ wretched. Even after being injured or a particularly nasty trip to Hojo's lab, you always remain immaculate. What’s the matter with you?"

"I'm sick, obviously." Sephiroth snapped, "Despite rumors to the contrary, I am not _actually_ immune to all illness."

"You're sick?" Genesis said, genuinely surprised. He had expected Sephiroth to say that he had stayed up too late working or pursuing some other interest that Genesis could mock. He had not considered something so... mundane, "What are you doing here, then?"

Sephiroth's glower shifted from Genesis to the stack of paperwork on his desk, "With Angeal gone on that mission to Junon with his protege, there's more to be done than usual. Even if you take half of his duties while he's away, there's still enough to keep me here."

Genesis stared at Sephiroth a moment before he found his voice, "You're joking."

"I'm really not and you're distracting me from my work." Sephiroth growled, letting his hand drop down on top of his paperwork for emphasis, "What do you want?"

"I had planned to drag you to the VR room for a spar, but I can see now that I have something far more urgent to take care of. _Ripples form on the water's surface, the wandering soul knows no rest_." Genesis pushed himself to his feet and snatched the pen from Sephiroth's hand, "You're being relieved of duty... now, do I have to escort you home or will you go willingly on your own?"

Sephiroth rolled his eyes and reached for the pen that Genesis had stolen, "Don't be ridiculous, Genesis. Give that back and go do something productive with your time."

"Oh no, I believe I've found my mission for the afternoon." Genesis drawled lazily, lifting the pen further from Sephiroth's reach, "Up you get, you're taking a sick day. If you won't come on your own, I'll tell Lazard you're ill. He'll probably have to report it to Hojo and then there'll be a special trip to the labs for you-"

"Enough!" Sephiroth pushed back from his desk so hard that the impact of the chair rattled the picture frames on the wall. He jabbed a finger at Genesis and snarled, "I don't take sick days. Go away and let me work."

That was the most obviously indicator that the man was unwell. Sephiroth's unflappable calm was legendary. It usually took far more than a few barbed words to get Sephiroth to so much as twitch an eyebrow. He had never lost his temper like that in Genesis’s memory.

Genesis's eyes fixed on Sephiroth's hand, ignoring the man's rage entirely, "Sephiroth, your hand is shaking."

Immediately, Sephiroth's hand closed into a fist, but it was too late to hide the tremble of fatigue. Genesis clucked his tongue at the man's lack of sense and started gathering the papers that were on the desk, "Don't be a fool. Bring whatever you feel cannot wait. I will see you home and then take care of it."

For a long moment, Genesis was sure that Sephiroth would continue to argue or attempt to throw him bodily from the office. Then, his shoulders slumped and he rubbed his hands over his face, "Even if I agree, Lazard will still realize something is wrong. I'll have to explain myself-"

Genesis's laughter cut him off, "Sometimes I think you forget your own power around here. You're _Sephiroth_. If you choose not to explain yourself, what can they do to you?"

"Be careful, Genesis..." Sephiroth replied with a raspy chuckle, "That almost sounded admiring."

"That's the fever talking, obviously." Genesis said, carefully ordering Sephiroth's paperwork. He pulled another untouched stack from the inbox and watched Sephiroth shut down his computer out of the corner of his eye. He doubted that anyone else would noticed that Sephiroth moved with anything less than his usual grace, but Genesis had studied him for so long that he could not miss it.

When he had hoped to see Sephiroth with ruffled feathers, this was not what he had imagined. He watched Sephiroth draw himself up, his face settling into a cold, hard mask. Genesis was impressed in spite of himself and wondered how often Sephiroth wore that particular face to hide something from the world.

The walk to the elevators was uneventful, Genesis deflecting a Second who tried to interrupt them. Sephiroth remained silent the whole way, hiding the hoarseness of his voice. By the time they got off the elevator, sweat was beading on Sephiroth’s forehead again. Inside the door, he all but collapsed against the wall.

“You’re worse off than I imagined.” Genesis said, wrapping an arm around Sephiroth’s waist to steady him. He was definitely too warm, even for a Soldier, “How did you even make it to your office?”

Sephiroth leaned against him for a moment before straightening again, “Sheer stubborn determination.”

Genesis snorted, following him further into the apartment. He kept himself ready to catch Sephiroth again if he stumbled, “That, I believe.”

“I appreciate your assistance, but I can take it from here.” Sephiroth tried to make it look like he was leaning casually against the back of the couch and not using it to prop himself up, “There is no reason for you to stay.”

“You’re out of your mind.” Genesis scoffed, dropping the pile of paperwork he carried on Sephiroth’s spotless coffee table, “If you had enough sense to take care of yourself, you would have stayed home in the first place. Obviously, you need looking after. Since Angeal is chasing his puppy around and you hate everyone else, the task falls to me.”

For the first time, Genesis was genuinely glad that he had never been cowed by Sephiroth’s glares. The man looked positively murderous. Of course, the effect was ruined by the way he tilted a bit drunkenly to the side.

"I have no reservations about going into your bedroom and digging through your clothes until I find your sleepwear." Genesis said, arching an eyebrow at his nemesis in challenge, "Though I may draw the line at dressing you."

Sephiroth said nothing, scowl melting into a blank look. It took Genesis a moment to decipher it, but when he did he covered his face with his hand and sighed, "You sleep naked."

He did not even need to look up and see Sephiroth's unashamed shrug to confirm it.  Genesis groaned a bit in frustration, "I absolutely draw the line at dressing you then... or undressing you as it were- really, Sephiroth, what do you wear when you're not on duty!?"

"I have casual clothing." Sephiroth replied, a small smile on his lips, "Though I doubt very much that any of it is suited to whatever it is you have in mind for me."

"Don't say it that way." Genesis said with a sniff, "You make me sound like one of your salivating fan boys."

Sephiroth's chuckle was a little rough, but obviously no less amused than normal. Genesis was just relieved that Sephiroth looked a little less near death, "You're the one talking about going through my closet and undressing me."

Muttering insults under his breath, Genesis gestured toward Sephiroth's bedroom, "Go. Find something suitable for lounging in."

He did not wait to see if the General would follow his orders. There was no way he would remain in his battle leathers in the privacy of his own home… especially if there were cooler alternatives to help with his obvious fever. Besides, he wanted to leave the man some dignity. Instead, Genesis headed into the kitchen to see if Sephiroth had anything edible to turn into soup.

There were tomatoes and onions being kept in containers on the counter that looked like they were still in decent condition. Genesis snorted when he saw the untouched spice rack sitting beside them and opened what he needed. He chopped the onion and dumped it into a pot with some butter and left it to cook with the spices while he gathered the rest of the ingredients from around the kitchen.

While Angeal had always been the best cook among them, Genesis had learned a few things from both Gillian Hewley and his own mother. He was particularly fond of his mother's tomato soup recipe and would ask for it above any other thing when he felt under the weather himself. The smell of the simmering tomatoes was almost as immediate a reminder of home as the taste of dumbapples from his family's orchard.

"I never imagined you cooking in a kitchen."

Genesis glanced over his shoulder, a sharp reply dying on his tongue when he saw Sephiroth leaning against the doorframe dressed in a set of black silk pajamas. He had taken the time to clean up and change, but had not bothered to button up the shirt. For all his disdain for the man, Genesis could not help but admit that the way the dark silk set off the pale skin of his bare chest had a kind of appeal. He shook his head, trying to dispel the thought before Sephiroth caught on.

Sephiroth's lips quirked up in a wry smile as he ran his fingers over the fabric, "I had forgotten about these... a gift from the Silver Elite. I trust they are adequate for a sick day."

“ _I_ certainly don’t turn my nose up at silk pajamas.” Genesis turned back to stirring the soup bubbling on the stove, “Where do you keep the bowls?”

When Sephiroth moved toward a cabinet to get the bowls himself, Genesis shooed him off toward the living room. While the soup simmered, Genesis cubed and toasted some bread. The croutons always added a nice crunch to the creamy soup. A few quick pulses with a hand blender and the soup was ready.

He poured a bowl for Sephiroth and a second bowl for himself. He might be doing a good deed in taking care of Sephiroth, but there was no reason he should not treat himself as well. It had been too long since he had the opportunity to enjoy a home cooked meal.

Genesis tsked in disapproval when he found Sephiroth looking through the paperwork he had left on the coffee table. He was still doing his best to look like the composed General, which was a near impossible feat in his pajamas. Genesis set his soup on the table, snatching the papers from Sephiroth’s grasp and replacing them with the other bowl. He grabbed a nearby throw and draped it around Sephiroth’s shoulders for good measure.

Sephiroth was staring at the croutons that were slowly sinking into the soup, “So how does this work?"

Genesis looked at him, trying to detect any hint of mockery in his tone. There was amusement and genuine interest but no flippancy in his words, "You really haven't taken a sick day before, have you?"

Sephiroth did not bother to respond, instead arching a silver eyebrow in an unspoken demand for more information. Genesis shrugged, “It’s simple. You’ll eat your soup, wrap up in the blanket and watch bad daytime television until you fall asleep.”

“That seems like a waste of an afternoon.”

There was a plaintive note in Sephiroth’s voice that would have been whining in a lesser man. Genesis rolled his eyes and thrust the remote in Sephiroth’s direction, “Shut up and eat your soup.”

Sephiroth flipped through the television channels, settling on a movie that Genesis had never seen. It was some mystery thriller that was nearly half over, so Genesis barely understood the plot. That suited him just fine, as he now had triple the paperwork to take care of.

He ate his soup quickly, trying to hide his satisfaction when Sephiroth made several appreciative noises over his own bowl. It was nearly as good as his own mother’s had been. He found himself wishing Angeal was around, knowing the big softy would have enjoyed it, too.

It was easy to lose himself in the paperwork. Sephiroth’s reports from First Class missions were far more interesting than the Second Class reports that he looked over on a regular basis. Genesis also sent Lazard a message that said he had kidnapped Sephiroth for the afternoon and they had left HQ to minimize damage to Shinra. Lazard had replied that he did not even care that Genesis was lying as long as they refrained from blowing up the building.

Some time later, a choking noise made Genesis glance sharply at Sephiroth. The silver haired warrior had slumped down against the arm of the couch, blanket pulled tight around his shoulders and throw pillow clutched to his chest. Genesis had always imagined Sephiroth would be a light sleeper, and he admitted to himself that might still be the case under different circumstances.

Honestly, Genesis had thought that he would have to drug Sephiroth to get the man to relax enough to sleep. The fact that he had done so without a fuss made Genesis want to seriously reconsider their whole relationship. That could come later... he had something far more pressing to consider while Sephiroth slept beside him on the couch.

At long last, he finally had what he had always wanted. Sephiroth was completely graceless in his sleep. It was a thing of wonder to behold- Sephiroth’s mouth gaped open as he snored, drooling a bit into his own hair. It was absurd and completely at odds with every bit of Shinra propaganda ever recorded and Genesis loved it. He knew that it was an image that would stay with him for a long time... goddess help him, it was even a little endearing.

Not that he would ever admit that to anyone, of course.


End file.
